Oas engine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I. L. H. NASH.

GAS ENGlNB.` No. 312,497. Patented Peb. 17,1885.

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N. PETERS, Mvulhagraplwf, wnhmgwn. D. C.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 3.

L. H. NASH.

GAS ENGINE.

N0. 312,497. l'atentedA Feb. 17, 1885.

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GAS ENGINE. No. 312,497. Y Patented Feb. 17, 1885.

NrTnn STATES PATENT LEWIS HALLOOK NASH, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METER COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 312,497, dated February 17, 1885.

Application filed January 22, 1884. (No model.)

T all whom, it 71mg concern.-

Beit known that I, LEWIS HAL'LocK NAsH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York', have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of whichl the following is a specification.

In United States Letters Patent granted to me under date of December et. 1883, No. 289,693, I have described and claimed certain improvements in gas engines in which the gaseous charge is formed by air compressed within a chamber' ofthe engine-cylinder and a portion passed through a body ofhydrocarbon, from whence -it passes to the combustioir chamber in carburcted condition with pure air trom said storage chamber to complete the charge. lt has also been proposed Yto operate explosive-vapor engines by forcing air under pressure from an independent compressor into a vessel containing hydrocarbon, from which vessel both the'liquid and partially-carbureted air pass into the combustion-chamber, so

as to iill with this mixture of air and liquid the space swept through by the piston, the hydrocarbon being sprayed into the cylinder by the force of the air-pressure upon its vsurface in the vessel, and the air mixing with `it only on reaching the cylinder. ln my said patent the engine-cylinder forms a compression-pump for the air, which tends to unduly increase the heat ef the working parts of the engine, while it is impossible to control Vby air-pressure the injection of the hydrocar- Referring to the accompanying drawings,-

tion of` a gas-engine embracing my invention for maintaining the temperature of the gases in the power-cylinder; Fig. 2, a horizontal longitudinal section of the engine, showing the independent air compressor, the valve system, and the independent lighter; Fig. 3, a crosssection of the engine, taken on the line z e of Fig. 2, showing the means for supplying the engine with fuel; Fig. 4, a sectional detail of the exhaust-valve. Figs. 5, 6, 7, S, and 9 show enlarged views of the independent lighter, illustrating its operation, Fig. 6 in these views being a cross-section on the line x a: of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 a cross-section on the line y y of Fig. and Fig. l0 shows a modified form of the means for maintaining the temperature of the gases in the cylinder.

Having thus brielly stated the several matters of my invention and described the drawings which illustrate one form of engine adapted for carrying it into effect, I will now more particularly describe the construction and operation of my engine preparatory to a specific Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal sec- 5o designation of the things and combinations of parts claimed as -my invention.

The engine is of the single-acting type, and

thecylinderA is open at the forward end, which is surrounded by a water-space, B, formed in the cast-ing to admit cold water for the purpose of cooling the cylinder, as in the ordinary water'jacket. The combustion-chamber O, or power end of the cylinder, is enlarged internally in its diameter to form a recess to receive a lining adapted to form a noncon ductor 'for heat, extending from the head a distance equal to the stroke of the piston, more or less. The cylinder-head D is in like manner recessed internally to receive a nonconductor of heat, which joins and laps the end of the cylinder non-conductor, so that the walls ofthe combustionchamberare lined with a heat non'conductor. Thecylinder non-conducting lining stands in the recess slightly back 0f the bore ofthe cylinder, so that piston E will work within the bore free'ot' the lining. The piston has the usual packing, and has a suitable bearing-surface within the cylinder. It has a cylindrical hood or shield, F, made hollow and secured to the back of the piston by any suitable means, so as to make it practically an integral part of the piston. rlhe hood or shield does not form ajoint-bearing with the cylinder, nor does it touch the cylinder-lining, and it is of sufficient length to have its chamber deep enough to prevent the heat from the combustion chamber being quickly communicated to the piston, and to bring its rear end in close proximity to the headlining of the cylinder when the piston has reached the limit of its back-stroke. The rear end of the piston-shield is recessed to receive a non-conducting lining similar to the walls of the combustion-chamber, so that the walls of thesaid chamber will be formed of nonconducting lining.

The object of forming` the combustion-cham ber with non-conducting walls is to entirely isolate the hot gases from any cooling inluence, so that in expanding in developing` power the total heat of the gases shall be converted into useful work.

It is necessary in the working of a gas- `engine that its wearing parts must be in a comparatively cool condition, while the conditions of greater efficiency req-nire that the gases shall be kept at the highest possible temperature.

It has been the practice heretofore in gasengines to secure a low degree of temperature nition.

of the working parts by using a cooling-water jacket for the cylinder. This necessarily cooled the combustion-chamber, so that the intensely-hot gases, being in a comparatively cold chamber, rapidly gave up their heat to the walls of the combustioirchamber, thereby greatly reducing their elastic force, and consequently the power and efficiency of the engine were correspondingly reduced, the heat thus imparted to the walls of the combustionchamber being a dead loss.

rIhe combusti on-chamber being inclosed by a non-conducting material, the inner surface of said chamber may have an intensely-hot temperature, which, however, will be less than that of the gases at the instant of i At this instant the inner surface of the non-conducting lining will receive some heat from the contact of the hot gases; but as the gases expand in driving the piston their temperature will be rapidly reduced until they reach a temperature lower than that of the inner surface of the combustion-chamber. rIhe excess of heat in the walls of the combustion-chamber will now be imparted to the expanding gases, and thereby increase their elastic force during the latter portion of the stroke of the piston, and correspondingly increase the power developed by the engine. Vhile, therefore, obtaining the advantage of working with au intensely-hot combustionchamber, I at the same time obtain the ad'- vantage of working the piston in a comparatively cool cylinder.

I may maintain the working part of the engine in a cool condition by means of other than the water jacket-for instance, by enveloping the cylinder by the Working-Huid, as set forth in my patent of November 27, 1883, No. 289,019.

The nonconducting lining is preferably used in the manner represented in the drawings-t-hat is to say, it may consist of one or more thin metal plates or sheets, a, separated by intervening spaces from each other and from the cylinder-walls.

The plates or sheets I preferto form of open cylinders or rings fitted one within the other in the recess in the walls of the cylinder, as stated; or they may be formed of a coil held lin place,with the coils separated -by any suitable means. The plates for the head of the cylinder and pistonshield are necessarily flat disks held in place by any suitable means; but. I prefer that the head-plates shall lap with those of the cylinderwalls'. While I prefer to form such lining in the manner described, yet it maybe formed by any suitable non-conduct ing material,with or without a metallic facing, as shown in Fig. 10. I may also lill the chamber F2 of the piston-shield F with any suitable non-conducting substance.

llhe piston is operated by any suitable crankconnections and the power transmitted in the usual manner. I use an air compressor, A, independent of the powercylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, consisting, in the example shown, of a cylinder open at one end, having ing a trunk-piston surrounded with a waterA jacket, which may form a continuation ofthe water-jacket ofthe power-cylinder, as shown. These two cylinders may also be separate or cast integral. The air is admitted to the compression chamber b through a checkvalve, c, in the head of said chamber, arranged to open inward in a well-known manner. Water is injected into the compression chamber bthrough the pipe d, either bcfore or during the compression of the air, by means of a suitable pump (not shown) adapted to be worked by the engine. The air-com-pression chamber communicates with the combustionchamber C of the power-cylinder by a chest, G, extending from the end of the compressor and opening into the cylinder-port c ofthe engine. as shownin Figs. 2 and 3, such communication being controlled by a check-valvc, f, and the main inlet-valve g of the engine arranged within said chest back of lthe valve f. rIhe exhaust-valve h discharges from the same port, e, into the exhaust-pipe rIhcse valves are operated each `by an eccentric, j, operated by the shaft H, which is driven by suitable gearing, I, by the crank-shaft J, the eccentric-rodskhaving a loose connection with their valve-stems, as shown in Fig. 4, the object of which will be hereinafter stated. The object of injecting the water into the air-compression chamber is to prevent the air from being unduly heated while being compressed. A portion of the compressed air is admitted IDO IIO

I liquid fuel.

3o the suction of the air-compressor.

5o any suitable means.

into the combustion-chamber by the means stated, While another portion is conveyed by the pipe Z into an air-tight vessel, K, containing a volatile liquid fuel placed inany suita- 5 ble relation to or distance from the engine.,' the conducting-pipe preferably entering the4 bottom of said vessel. The air admitted into this vessel passes through theV liquid fuel therein, which may be gasoline or other volatile 1o liquid, and absorbs sufficient of the oil to form the gaseous fuel, which collects in thechamvber of the vessel above thesurface of the liquid fuel, it being understood that this chamber is never to be completely filled .with the The passage e of the engine con-1- municates with the top of this air-tight vessel K by means of a pipe, m, as shown iu Fig. 3, and such communication is controlled by a suitable governor,- n, to admit the gaseous 2o fuel from the air-tight 'chamber underpressure into the chest G, whence it passes into the cylinder through the porte, being admitted by a valve, o, operated by the engine. (Shown in'Fig. 3.) rlhe pipe m is provided with a check-valve, r, to prevent back-pressure of the gas from the cylinder, while the pipe Z is provided with a similar check-valve, 1", to prevent the backilow of the liquid from the vessel K, which might occur from the force of The gassupply is controlled by the valve o in the bottiom of the chest G, adapted to cross the entrance-port of the pipe m, and operated by a rod, o', connected b-y a rocker-arm, ol, with the eccentric-rod k, so that the reciprocating movement of the latter is communicated to the valve o, to control the admission of the gas, as stated.

I use a means for lightingthe charge inde- 4o'pendent of the valve system of the engine.

lt consists of a separate lighting device connected With thecombustion-chamber by a pipe or passage, s, opening into a cylindrical case` t, adapted to receive a cylindrical lighter-valve,

a, operated by an eccentric, j', on the valveshaft H through the eccentric-rod. The case t of the lighter-valvea is surrounded by awaterjacket, t, to prevent the device from becoming overheated, and the supply of water may be by The case of the lightervalve has two ports, o w-one, n, to admit the flame into the chamber c ofthe valve from au exterior permanent burner, x, placed so tha-t the flame from said burner shall be communicated to the gas Within the valve-chamber,

and the other, w, communicates with the pipe s and with the valve-chamber in the operation of the valve, as shown in Fig. 9. The valvechamber tis placed crosswise of the valve,

6o and opens at opposite sides of its circumference, so as to open and close thc ports v w at the proper time. The ignition in the valvepassage in the side of the case, as shown, it may be made in the lighter-valve, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In the operation of the lighter, as described, it is advantageous to place` t-he pipe s, connecting the lighter-valve with the combustionchamber, near to the point where the fuel entering through the pipe m enters the engine, so that the combustible mixture passing into the pipe s, in supplying the lighter, shall be heavily charged with the fuel, and thus be capable of quickly receiving rthe flame fromthe lighter and communicating it to the charge in thecombustion-chamber. For this purpose I have shown the pipe e', Fig. 2, conveying the said gaseous fuel, as extending a short distance Within the engine-port e, and communicating With the passage e, placed benea-th the passage e, as shown in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which passage e2 supplies the fuel to the engine. After the charge is admitted to the combustion-chamber of the engine a portion of it passes through the pipe s and the jet-passage c, supplying the jet v2, which is lighted by the permanent lighterflame x through the port o when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 5. lVhen the valve has reached the position shown in Fig. 8, the port v is closed and the port w is just beginning to open, so that the charge from s enters through the edge ofthe port lw in ajet,

c4, and is lighted by the jet c2, which continues lighted as the Valve moves into the position shown in Fig. 9, opening the port w wider, so that the flame can be communicated to the gas in the pipe s. To maintain a continuous et at n* after the port 'v has been closed a jet-passage, t5, is provided in the case to give a vent for the incoming gases in the valve-chamber. The inlet and outlet valves areoperated by the ecccntrics j in proper order, as stated, and, as shown in Fig. 4, the eccentric-rod 7c of each valve has a loose connection with the valve-stem. This loose connection is formed by an open 0r recessed end of the eccentric-rod k terminating in hook-points lc la and a button, 7L', on the end of the valve-stem, adapted to movie Within the said recess or opening, and forms a shoulder between which andthe said hook-points a coilspring, It?, is placed, and acts to keep it closed when theeccentric-rod is ou its back-stroke. This loose joint-connection operates to allow `theeXhaust-valve to be closed during a por- IOO IIO

tion of the stroke of the eccentric, and it is opened when the eccentric moves so as to Ybring the button h in contact with the end la2 of the recess in the eccentric-rod. The inletvalve g is provided with asimilar loosejointconnection. but is opened in the reverse direction by the action'of the valve-stem button h against the hook-points. in motion, the air is admittedfthrough the check-valve c and compressed by the backstroke of the compressor-piston, and during such compression, or duringfthe admission of The enginebeing .into the chest G, and is admitted at the proper time into the combustion-chamber by the inlet-valve. Another portion of the compressed air` passes from the compressionchamber through the pipel into the vessel K, where it absorbs a quantity of the liquid fuel,and passes .thence through the pipe m into the passage e by the valve o, and mixes with the air pass- .ing into the combustion-chamber to complete .the charge, which is lighted as stated.

.f I have shown and described the gas as being Ysupplied by passing a portion of the compressed air through a confined body otliquid fuel; but as this source of the gas may not always be desirable or available I may supply the gas to the engine from any other source, in which case it must be admitted into the air-compression chamber, and for this purpose I have shown a pipe, d2, in Fig. 3, provided with a check-valve, d3, through which the gas passes into the compression-chamber, se *nat the gas will in this case be compressed with the air and the water, or with both, and the charge therefrom conducted'into the power-cylinder through the engine-valves. In such case the other fuel-supply may be disconnected or not provided.

I have shown the independent lighter as being arranged uponv the combustion-chamber, so as to supply the iguiting-jets from the charge therein contained; but the lighting of the charge can be effected if the lighter were Aplaced upon any part or passage communicating with the poWercylinder-as, for instance, the passage e.

The admission of the gaseous fuel to the engine is controlled by the governor n, arranged on the supply-pipe m, to regulate the a nount supplied to the combustion-chamber from the vessel containing a volatile liquid fuel, and the governor so arranged co opera es with the independent air-compressor in an engine operated by gaseous fuel produced from a volatile liquid, the governor being operated by the pulley j2 on the valve-operating shaft.

I claiml. The method substantially `herein described of operating an explosive engine, which consists in dividing acharge of air compressed in a chamber independent of the engine, passing a portion of the air into and through a body of hydrocarbon, conducting the carbureted air into the power-cylinder, and completing the combustible charge by admitting the other portion ot' the compressed dependent compressor,

air into said cylinder direct from said insubstantially as described. c

2. The method herein described of operating an explosive-gas engine, which consistsin dividing acharge of air compressed in a chamber independent of the engine, passing a portion of the air into and through a body of hydrocarbon, conducting the carbureted air into the power-cylinder in quantities regulated by a governor, and completing the combustible charge by admitting the other portion of the compressed air into said cylinder, as described.

3. The combination, With the cylinder of an explosive-vapor engine and an independent air-compressor, of an air-tight vessel for containing hydrocarbon, an pipe, Z, connecting said independent compressor With the bottom of said vessel, the pipe m, connecting the top of said vessel with the engine-valves, the supply and eXhau'st valvesfg h, anda governor, n, arranged upon the pipe connecting the engine with the top of said vessel, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the power-cylinder of a gas-engine and a water-jacketed aircompression pump, A', of an air-tight vessel. K, for containing hydrocarbon, the pipes d cl* 'm Z, and the valvesfg It, all constructed and arranged as described.

5. A gas-engine having the walls of its combustion-chamber and the face ofthe piston lined with a multiple of thin plates separated by air-spaces, as described, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with the cylinder of a gas engine, of a non-conducting lining for the walls of the combustion-chamberthereof', comroo posed of thin metal plates separated by airspaces, so as to insulate the cylinder proper from the direct contact of the heat of the gases.

V7. The combination, in a gas-engine, of an 105 independent compression-pump having a Waterjacket and means for injecting water into its compression-chamber with a powercylinder having a water-jacket and a nonconducting lining, .and a lighter device hav- 1ro ing a water-jacket, substantially as herein set forth.

8. The combination, with the cylinderof a' gas-engine, of an external lighter composed ot' a shell, t, and a slide-valve, u, both hav- 115 ing ports communicating with the air and with the combustion chamber, the shell-port c3, for lighting the gas in the valve-port t' when the latter is closed to the combustionchamber and open to the air, and the shell- 12o port v5, for maintaining the lighting-jet when the valve-port c is closed to the air, and the permanent burner x, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the cylinder of a 125 button, h', and the spring h2, substantially as 13o described, for the purpose specified.

10. The combination, with the cylinder of a gas-engine, of the pipe e2, entering the supply-port e ofthe cylinder, and a valve-1ighter having its igniting-jets supplied independent of the valve system of the engine, substantially as set forth.

ll. The Combination, with the cylinder, of a gasengine, of a lighter having its ignitingjets supplied independent of the valve system of the engine, consisting of a ease, t, having a suitable eonneetion with the combustionehaniber, the ports o w and passages o3 o5,

and the valve u, having the chamber o', a permanent external burner, w, and suitable means for connecting the valve with the sha-ft.

H, substantially as described.

`In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presenee of `two subscribing Witnesses.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH.

W`itnesses: Y

A. E. H. JOHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON. 

